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A guide for writers with or without published work. A comprehensive resource that every writer should have in their library in order to learn how to publish, promote, and market themselves on the Internet.







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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Online & Social Networking: Encourage Your Blog Visitors to Digg Your Content

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Dummies.com Newsletter: Visit Dummies.com

Online & Social Networking

 

Encourage Your Blog Visitors to Digg Your Content

Digg is a web service dedicated to user-powered content. Digg specializes in user community rating and voting, which allow users to submit and vote on what content, comments, videos, or images are important and what are not. More

See more from Internet

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Share the Local Weather Report on Your Blog 
What Elements You Can Expect in All Blogs 
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Do You Avoid LinkedIn Because You Don't Know How to Use It? via @coachjudy


I'm discouraged by what I see on LinkedIn. Many authors don't take advantage of LinkedIn's power to promote and market themselves and their books there. It's frustrating for me to see the big mistakes authors are making on what has become the second largest social network in the U.S, and the one that is perfect for authors and businesses that brand themselves with a book.

LinkedIn is the best way to get you and your book seen and loved! You get much more visibility and credibility on LinkedIn than FB and Twitter.

What Are Book Authors and Professionals Doing Wrong on LinkedIn?

Find out at:
blog.bookmarket.com/2011/12/book-marketing-makeover-do-you-avoid.html 


===============
25 year Book Coach, Judy Cullins helps you in business to write a "best seller" and build your brand with a short book to sell all the books and get all the clients you need.

Author of... 
"Write your eBook Other Short Book-Fast!"
"LinkedIn Marketing: 8 Best Tactics to Build Book and Business Sales"
"Advanced Article Marketing"

Click http://www.bookcoaching.com/help-writing-a-book.php to get fresh, free, weekly publications on book writing, self publishing, and online marketing

Network with Judy on... 
http://www.linkedin.com/in/judycullins
http://twitter.com/CoachJudy
http://www.facebook.com/coachjudycullins

===============

judycullins@cox.net 
619/466-0622 


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

[Build Book Buzz] 6 Things to Include in Your HARO Responses via @sandrabeckwith

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Tips, tactics and tools for generating media awareness and other buzz about your books.

December 14, 2011

In This Issue:



Buzzing Around

Hi Sylvia,

OrnamentsI mentioned in the last issue that I was one of four women organizing a post-Thanksgiving craft show to raise $8,000 for a new classroom for Hannah's Hope, a school in Kenya. If we ended the day with a $4,000 profit, it would be a success by my standards. I guess I was naïve, because we actually generated $12,000! Wow! As a result, the organization that built Hannah's Hope has decided to add not one, but two classrooms! It was a pretty exciting day for everyone involved, but especially for Hannah's family. 

I had my own $4,000 goal for our "Have a Heart for Hannah's Hope Holiday Sale" because I'm big on goal-setting. It helps keep me focused on what's important. As someone once said, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." And then there's, "If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there?" Please take time before the end of the year to establish professional and personal goals. I know from experience that having specific goals can make you more productive and satisfied. And who can't benefit from that?

Cheers,

Sandy


Expert View:
6 Things to Include in Your HARO Responses

HARO - "Help a Reporter Out" - is a complimentary service that links journalists with sources. (There are now paid versions with extra benefits like "early alerts," too, but the original no charge version provides enough value for most of us.) It's a valuable resource for authors looking for that priceless news media exposure known as publicity. 

About a year and a half ago, this newsletter offered tips on how not to respond to a HARO query (the requests from journalists, sent collectively in e-mails distributed three times a day, are called "queries"). As a reminder from that issue, you don't want to respond to requests for sources on your area of expertise by writing: 

  • "You should call me. I know a lot about this."
  • "I saw your HARO ad. If you're ever looking for a source about (insert random topic unrelated to query here), call me."
  • "Read the article at this link for my opinion about this. Feel free to use anything from my article in yours."

Here's what you do want to include in your response: 

  1. The title of the "query" you're responding to in your e-mail subject line. Every query has a title - for example, "Cheap, healthy holiday fare" or "How to keep employee morale up." Copying and pasting the query title into the subject line of your message helps the busy journalist organize and track responses.
  2. Your credentials. What makes you qualified to contribute to this article or segment? Why should the reporter interview you? In addition to summarizing your relevant expertise in one or two sentences, include a link to your bio on your website.
  3. One or two sentences to offer your perspective. Maybe it's your opinion, something counter-intuitive, or information that validates the article or segment premise. Try to offer a few thoughts that the journalist won't get from the many others who are responding. Be as specific as possible.
  4. Tips or advice when appropriate. If the journalist seeks an expert and there's enough information in the request to offer tips, use bullets to present three or four.
  5. Brief anecdote when requested. Sometimes, reporters are looking for anecdotes, not advice from experts. If you've got one to share, keep it brief and to the point.
  6. Contact information. This one is so obvious that it's often overlooked. Make sure you include your full signature with name, e-mail, telephone number, URL, and your book title.

Finally, don't include attachments. While HARO responders can attach files to their e-mail responses, HARO doesn't pass those attachments along to the journalist. (Odd, isn't it?) If it's important to include the information, copy and paste it into the message.


Education:
Register for February 2012 "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz" E-course

We're now accepting registrations for the "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz" e-course that runs January 30 - February 24, 2012. Both sections - one for traditionally published authors and the other for those who have self published - emphasize the planning, strategy, tools and tactics needed to get - and keep - your book in the news so that you sell more books. (The course for self-published authors includes a section on how to announce a book's publication and generate reviews.) You'll leave the class with your own book publicity blueprint, tools you can use immediately to get media exposure, and a solid understanding of how to get attention in both traditional and social media worlds. 

The class is taught online in a forum format. There are no scheduled meetings or sessions - you work at your own pace according to your own schedule. 

For information on the original course, "Book Publicity 101: How to Build Book Buzz," go to http://buildbookbuzz.com/how-to-build-book-buzz-workshop/

For information and on the self-published authors course, "Book Publicity 101 for Self-Published Authors: How to Build Book Buzz," go to http://buildbookbuzz.com/self-published-how-to-build-book-buzz-workshop/.

Purchase "How to Use LinkedIn to Sell More Books" Audio Program

We're still getting great feedback on our LinkedIn for authors teleseminar! That's because LinkedIn is quickly becoming the virtual water cooler for people who want to learn about and read your books - whether you write nonfiction or fiction. As the second largest social network in the U.S. and the world's largest professional network on the Internet, LinkedIn offers you more than 120 million members in more than 200 countries. You can't afford to ignore this resource any longer! Its unique features can help you be even more targeted and effective with your book promotion efforts than you can be with either Twitter or Facebook. 

In this 75-minute recording and bonus two-page handout, LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth, author of The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success, shares his LinkedIn book sales secrets for the first time with authors. Learn more and purchase the audio recording at http://buildbookbuzz.com/linkedin-audio-program/. It's a great value.


About Sandra

Sandra Beckwith is a former publicist who has won several national and regional publicity awards and teaches authors how to generate long-term media buzz for their books. She is the author of three books on publicity, conducts publicity workshops, and writes frequently on small business marketing and management topics. Please visit her book publicity site and publicity blog to learn more.

Build Book Buzz is a free e-newsletter published twice monthly by Beckwith Communications. Please forward this newsletter to anyone. To subscribe, visit www.buildbookbuzz.com. We do not share our mailing list with any individual or organization for any reason.

Need a writer's conference speaker or workshop presenter? Sandra's workshops at the American Society of Journalists and Authors annual conference, the University of Wisconsin Writers Institute, and at other industry conferences share priceless how-to information you won't get elsewhere. Contact her at sb@buildbookbuzz.com for more information.

Build Book Buzz
www.buildbookbuzz.com
Sandra Beckwith, Editor & Publisher
Phone: 585-377-2768
Email: sb@buildbookbuzz.com


Beckwith Communications

25 Erie Crescent
Fairport, NY
14450
US




Monday, December 12, 2011

Ten Ways to Give Writing Feedback to Boost Your Success via @coachjudy



Writing a book? Website? Promotional Materials?
Want to up level your already quality writing?

Whatever we write, we need to share it with our peers or professionals for feedback before we present it to our paying audience.

Getting writing feedback offers many benefits. Even though you know your topic well, you may have some old writing sins lurking in your copy. While a bit scary, if you can put your ego aside, you'll get valuable ideas from others to make your writing more clear and inspiring. You will learn how to identify your writing strengths and weaknesses, and you will develop your own writing style and voice.

"Congrats on your bookcoaching.com site and your 180 blog posts. They are full of great information for professionals like me, and I really appreciate reading them! I'm working on so many projects at the same time my priority is to build my opt-in list, and create rapport, so my next step will be to use the connections I have on LI to send them my free report ( when it will be ready) and ask them their opinion and feedback. It is a sincere pleasure reading your comments!"

-Patricia Gozlan, Prosperity Coach Expert

You can exchange feedback with your peers via email or you can join a writing or book group such as the one I offer at LinkedIn, or get individual or group coaching. Remember, your writing must be easy to understand or it won't get read or sell.

10 Parts to Give Feedback On

1. Does the opening grab your attention? How? Is it clear? Is it engaging?

2. What syntax needs editing? (grammar) Are tenses consistent?

3. Does it use action verbs rather than linking (to be) verbs? Do the verbs advance the story and tighten the writing?

4. Does your piece show, not tell? Do you use senses of sight, sound, emotions, and touch? Does it engage rather than tell? Do you use creative non-fiction techniques such as dialogue?

5. Do you have redundancies that slow your writing down?

6. Does your writing use adjectives and adverbs too much?

7. Is it factually accurate?

8. Is it coherent? Does it flow and sound natural? Is it easy to understand?

9. Are the dialogues believable? Does it have enough dialogue? (think creative non-fiction).

10. Does the ending sum up or compel your reader to want to keep reading or take action?

3 Rules of Giving the Oreo Cookie Method Feedback

Over 25 years as a book coach, I've used this Oreo Cookie Method. You'll develop bravery and confidence if you use this wisely with a trusted writing coach or peers. And, you'll get great writing results that help you sell later.

1. First, give one general statement of the copy's strength and what grabbed you. Include one positive before you launch into correction mode. In any writing feedback group, you want to encourage new writers and make it safe to expose their mistakes.

2. Second, give more specific feedback in parentheses next to the sentence error. Or, give specific feedback on what to leave out and what to keep as "gold." Or, anything else that will make the writing better. We all want this one to keep our writing readable. Only readable copy helps you get readers and sales later on.

3. Last, Conclude with a positive and encouragement.

If you want to strengthen your writing before your audience sees it, take some time to get some writing feedback. Pros and emerging writers need it. Do this before you get your final line edit. Now, make me smile and give me a comment!

Want ongoing free help? Commit to Judy's LinkedIn book group at www.linkedin.com/groups/Book-Writing-Self-Publishing-Marketing-1812052

Serious and committed to move forward much faster to get your cash flow going? See Judy's coaching pages at bookcoaching.com/publishing-your-own-book.php

Remember, any journey is easier and faster with a partner. Choose the path that suits you.


===============
25 year Book Coach, Judy Cullins helps you in business to write a "best seller" and build your brand with a short book to sell all the books and get all the clients you need.

Author of...
"Write your eBook Other Short Book-Fast!"
"LinkedIn Marketing: 8 Best Tactics to Build Book and Business Sales"
"Advanced Article Marketing"

Click http://www.bookcoaching.com/help-writing-a-book.php to get fresh, free, weekly publications on book writing, self publishing, and online marketing

Network with Judy on...
http://www.linkedin.com/in/judycullins
http://twitter.com/CoachJudy
http://www.facebook.com/coachjudycullins

===============

judycullins@cox.net
619/466-0622


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Court Sanctions Party And Counsel Over Deleted Facebook Content

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December 5, 2011


Court Sanctions Party And Counsel Over Deleted Facebook Content
 
What one posts on a social media page may be relevant to claims being pursued by that person in court.  Deleting this information during the pendency of a lawsuit could result in sanctions by the court.  This is precisely what happened to Plaintiff Isaiah Lester, who sued Allied Concrete for the alleged wrongful death of his wife, 25-year-old Jessica Lester, who died when an Allied Concrete truck rolled onto her car.  
 
Apparently, before producing information requested by Allied Concrete, Lester's attorney, Matt Murray, instructed Lester to delete Facebook photos of himself holding a beer and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "I [heart] hot moms."  Murray's assistant's email to Lester read "[w]e do not want blow ups of other pics at trial, so please, please clean up your Facebook and MySpace!"
 
The court found that the deletion of the photos constituted misconduct by Lester and Murray, his attorney.  Granting defendant's motion for sanctions, the court awarded a total of $722,000 to Allied Concrete for attorney fees.  Of this amount, Lester was ordered to pay $180,000 and Murray ordered to pay $542,000.  It remains to be seen whether the sanctions award will stand, as both sides are currently appealing the
court's decision.
 
Social media content is treated like other information that may be relevant to a case -- deleting potential evidence can be grounds for sanctions.  For an article with more information about the case,
go here.



For more information about legislation or litigation involving technology, intellectual property protection of information technology assets or any other Information Technology law issue, contact your Miller Canfield attorney or the author.


Kathy Ossian
Information Technology Team Leader
313.496.7644




Friday, December 2, 2011

Computers, Mobile Devices & Gadgets: Using the Kindle App for iPhone and iPod Touch

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Dummies.com Newsletter: Visit Dummies.com

Computers, Mobile Devices & Gadgets

 

Using the Kindle App for iPhone and iPod Touch

A number of e-reader applications are available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but the big advantage of the Kindle application is its ability to synchronize your Kindle with the iPhone or iPod Touch automatically. If you leave your Kindle at home, you can access your books and read them on your iPhone. More

See more from Consumer Electronics

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